HARVEST OF GOLD by TESSA AFSHAR is the sequel to Harvest of Rubies. The novel carries on with Sarah and Darius' story, this time set against the backdrop of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Although it is best to read the books in sequence, they can each be read as stand alone novels.Darius and Sarah are summoned to Susa by the king and queen of Persia and on the way they uncover a plot to kill king Artaxerses.
The plot seems to originate from Damascus, and Darius and his armed men are to go with Nehemiah as far as Jerusalem, and then carry on to Damascus to find the people who are trying to overthrow the king. Sarah is Jewish and has always longed to see the land of her fathers. She begs Darius to allow her to go with them. She is deeply in love with her husband and doesn't want to be separated from him.
Their story is beautifully interwoven with the wonderful story of Nehemiah's faith and courage as he undertakes the impossible task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, constantly under attack from his enemies, but still managing to bolster the courage of the Judeans, who had been living without hope and in dire poverty.
Darius' mother was Jewish but it isn't until he is in Jerusalem, working closely with Nehemish, that he comes to know his wife's and mother's God. He is literally rebuilt once he faces the "rubble" of his past and sees that his foundations were destroyed when he was forced into an army barracks at the age of seven. Here he learned to live without showing any feelings and this is the reason that he is afraid to open up to Sarah. Once he has faced his past this all changes.
There is a harvest of gold for Jerusalem, with the sun shining on the stones of the newly built wall and the grain growing in the fields round the city. Darius and Sarah also reap a rich harvest in Jerusalem.
It is a story of God's faithfulness in adversity. We see the importance of never giving up and also of facing one's past and allowing the Lord to heal one's wounds.
It is a beautifully written novel, with a good story and is full of scriptural truth. I can highly recommend it.
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